In the week ending February 16, a notable decrease in electricity demand was observed across several major European power markets. Portugal experienced the most significant drop, with demand falling by 7.7%, marking its second consecutive week of decline. This reduction was partially attributed to the Carnival Tuesday holiday on February 17. Other countries also reported decreases: the United Kingdom saw a 3.4% decline, Spain’s demand fell by 2.5%, and Italy recorded a decrease of 1.7%. France, which had seen an increase in demand the previous week, posted a slight decline of 0.8%. Conversely, Belgium and Germany reported increases in demand of 1.5% and 0.7%, respectively, with Germany recovering from two weeks of reduced consumption.
Temperature trends during this period varied significantly across Europe, impacting energy consumption patterns. Average temperatures rose in Great Britain, France, and Belgium, with increases ranging from 0.2°C to 0.7°C. In contrast, Portugal, Germany, Italy, and Spain experienced temperature declines between 0.6°C and 1.0°C, which likely contributed to the observed shifts in electricity demand.
Looking ahead to the week of February 23, forecasts from AleaSoft Energy Forecasting suggest that electricity demand is expected to continue its downward trend in Germany, France, Italy, the UK, and Belgium. However, Spain and Portugal are projected to see an increase in power consumption, indicating potential regional discrepancies in energy needs as weather patterns evolve.
