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US wind power reaches 89,710 MWh an hour on Oct 24 as gas-fired generation falls

Hourly wind generation in the Lower 48 US states rose to 89,710 megawatt-hours (MWh) early on Oct 24, while gas-fired output fell to 184,442 MWh. Together with easing demand, this points to weak gas use by power plants.

A data update from FactIQ, written from Energy Information Administration figures. What is FactIQ?

Key figures

Lower 48 US wind generation, latest hour, early Oct 24 (UTC)
89,710 MWhup from about 17,000 MWh at the Oct 22 low2026-10-222026-10-24Hourly Net Electricity Generation from Wind in the United States Lower 48 States (UTC Time)
Lower 48 US gas-fired generation, first hour of Oct 24 (UTC)
184,442 MWhdown from 214,437 MWh in the same hour a day earlier2026-10-222026-10-24Hourly Net Electricity Generation from Natural Gas in the United States Lower 48 States (UTC Time)
Lower 48 US electricity demand, evening peak, Oct 23
about 483,000 MWhdown from about 499,000 MWh on Oct 21 and about 496,000 MWh on Oct 222026-10-222026-10-24Hourly Electricity Demand for the Lower 48 United States (UTC Time)
Southern Company electricity demand, peak, Oct 16
about 34,000 MWhbetween 19,000 and 25,600 MWh since Oct 172026-10-222026-10-24Hourly Demand for Southern Company Services, Inc. (SOCO) Transmission

Wind took a larger share of power generation, and gas plants produced less

Wind turbines in the Lower 48 states, meaning the contiguous United States, produced about 17,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) at their low point on Oct 22. In the latest hour, early on Oct 24 in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), they produced 89,710 MWh.

Gas-fired generation fell over the same period. In the first hour of Oct 24 it was 184,442 MWh. In the same hour a day earlier it was 214,437 MWh.

Electricity demand is easing as the season turns

Electricity demand is the amount of power customers use each hour. It largely determines how much fuel power plants burn. The Lower 48 evening peak slipped on three straight days:
  • Oct 21: about 499,000 MWh
  • Oct 22: about 496,000 MWh
  • Oct 23: about 483,000 MWh

The cool-down is clearest at Southern Company in the Southeast

Demand on the Southern Company power system peaked at about 34,000 MWh on Oct 16. Since Oct 17 it has stayed between 19,000 and 25,600 MWh. Gas-fired output on the system fell from about 20,000 MWh to between 10,000 and 12,000 MWh. Taken together, the national and regional figures point to soft demand for gas from power plants.

Source: Energy Information Administration. See all EIA data in FactIQ.

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