2025 CEQ Annual Report

Materials, Energy and Transportation

Waste Diversion Zero-Carbon Energy Solar PV Transportation

Electricity at Home and Work

Summary symbol key that indicates indicator deteriorated or declined from previous year's report, deteriorated or declined from the previous ten-year average, and a goal is not applicable. Image of the sun, earth and a thermometer that identifies indicators that are affected by a warmer climate or those that affect the climate.

Residential

In 2025, the retail sales of electricity for the residential sector increased to 13,357 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) from 12,942 million kWh in 2024 , an increase of 3.2 percent from the previous year and a 4.1 percent increase from the previous ten-year average (12,826 million kWh).⁷⁹

Typically, when more electricity is used by residents, more electricity needs to be generated and more greenhouse gas emissions are potentially released to the environment. The use of fossil fuels for electric generation increases air pollution, especially from less efficient/more polluting units used to meet peak demand. The increase in the trend for electricity purchases in the residential sector might be due, in part, to higher temperature and number of days greater than 90°F (18); increases in electric vehicle use; people working and learning from home; and reductions in annual electricity conservation savings (see below).

Commercial/Industrial

Summary symbol key that indicates indicator improved from previous year's report, improved from the previous ten-year average, and a goal is not applicable.

In 2025, Connecticut’s commercial and industrial sectors purchased approximately 14,042 million kWh. The purchase of electricity in the commercial and industrial sectors decreased from 2024 levels (14,219) by 1.2 percent and was 6.4 percent less than the previous ten-year average (14,995).⁸⁰

Electric Conservation

Summary symbol key that indicates indicator improved from previous year's report, deteriorated or declined from the previous ten-year average, and met goal for 2025.

Estimated annual reductions of electricity (savings) from efficiency measures in 2025 (114,472 megawatt hours (MWh)) was approximately seven (7) percent more than in 2024 (106,533 MWh), but only about 40 percent of the previous ten-year average (288,998 MWh).⁸¹

Educating consumers and reducing electricity demand, especially peak demand, are effective strategies for reducing electricity consumption, electricity generation, and the resultant air emissions from fossil fueled electricity generation. While Connecticut’s energy-efficiency programs have helped small and large businesses, homeowners and renters, and state and local governments better manage their energy use, the expenditure of funds (annual spending) for each MWh of electricity conserved (annual reductions or savings) has increased significantly over the last ten years. The decrease in annual electricity reductions, depicted in the graph above, is mostly due to the lighting market being fully saturated with light-emitting diode (LED) lighting equipment; the result being that conservation measures have shifted to more comprehensive measures and these measures tend to carry higher costs.⁸²

The Independent System Operator for New England’s (ISO-NE) 2024 Energy Efficiency Forecast estimated that the incremental annual energy reductions, net of embedded expiring measures, is expected to decrease significantly over the next ten years.⁸³ Energy efficiency measures are important because residential and commercial buildings use approximately 74 percent of all electricity and 39 percent of all energy use in the United States. In Connecticut, the approximately 1.4 million households and 140,000 businesses together accounted for more than 70 percent of Connecticut’s 750 trillion British thermal unit (Btu) of annual energy consumption.⁸⁴ Improving the energy efficiency of buildings is critical to lowering energy costs, strengthening resilience to extreme weather events, improving grid reliability, and making residential and commercial buildings more comfortable and affordable.⁸⁵

Goal: Specific goals for energy conservation (electric reductions) vary for each year based on a number of factors, including the proposed budget for conservation measures in a given year, as determined by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Board and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority.

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⁷⁹_{Energy Information Administration (EIA), Electricity Data Browser, Retail Sales of Electricity, Residential Sector, accessed February 25, 2026; www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/topic/5?agg=0,1&geo=008&endsec=o&freq=A&start=2001&end=2022&ctype=linechart&ltype=pin&rtype=s&pin=&rse=0&maptype=0.}

80 _{EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Retail Sales of Electricity, Commercial and Industrial Sector, accessed February 24, 2026; www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/topic/5?agg=0,1&geo=008&endsec=m&freq=A&start=2001&end=2022&ctype=linechart&ltype=pin&rtype=s&maptype=0&rse=0&pin=.}

⁸¹_{Energize Connecticut, Connecticut Statewide Energy Efficiency Dashboard, accessed March 24, 2026; www.ctenergydashboard.com/Public/PublicPerformanceReports.aspx.}

82 _{DEEP, personal communication from Benjamin McMillan, February 4, 2025.}

83 _{ISO-New England, Final 2024 Energy Efficiency Forecast and Appendix (3.1 Average Annual Emissions), April 28, 2024; www.iso-ne.com/static-assets/documents/100010/eef2024_final_4site.pdf.}

⁸⁴_{DEEP, 2018 Connecticut Comprehensive Energy Strategy, Building Sector; portal.ct.gov/-/media/DEEP/energy/CES/BuildingsSectorpdf.pdf.}

⁸⁵ _{U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Emerging Technologies; www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/emerging-technologies.}