As temperatures soared in July, natural gas kept air conditioners running while wind failed

America’s natural gas-fired generators produced 6.9 million megawatt hours of electricity in the lower 48 on July 9, 2024, according to new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). 

The spike, the EIA notes, was due to a combination of high temperatures, which are common in July, along with a steep drop in wind generation. Wind generation in the lower 48 produced only 0.3 million megawatt hours, which was lower than the average 1.3 million megawatt hours that wind produces in July. 

The average American home consumes about 899,000 watt hours per month. A megawatt hour is one million watt hours.

The July 9 natural gas-generation peak was likely the highest in all U.S. history, according to the EIA, and definitely the most since Jan. 1, 2019, when the agency began collecting hourly data on natural gas generation.

Studies have shown that wind droughts, which are prolonged periods of low wind speeds, are more common during periods of high electricity demand.