(Reuters) – The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Wednesday said that the country’s power consumption will increase by about 3% over 2021, as the economy recovers from last year’s coronavirus outbreak.

EIA has projected that the short-term energy outlook (STEO) will see power demand rise to 3,915 billion kilowatthours (kWh) by 2021 and 3,929 trillion kWh by 2022.

That compares with a coronavirus-depressed 11-year low of 3,802 billion kWh in 2020 and an all-time high of 4,003 billion kWh reached in 2018.

EIA predicted that power sales in 2021 would reach an all-time high of 1,488 billionkWh for residential users. The record is based on ongoing COVID concern keeping more people from work.

It compares with the previous record of 1,469 Billion kWh for residential customers in 2018, and highs of 1,382 Billion kWh for commercial customers in 2018.

EIA forecasts that the share of power production will drop from 39% in 2020 down to 36% 2021, 36% 2021, and 35% 2022 due to rising gas prices. Coal will contribute 23% to 2022, up from 20% in 2020.

In 2020, nuclear power will decrease from 21% to 20%, 2021 to 2022 and renewables at 20%. The 2022-2021 rate of nuclear energy will be the same as in 2020. It will rise to 22% by 2022.

EIA forecasts that natural gas sales in 2021 will rise to 13.37 Bcfd (bcfd), for residential customers, 9.32 Bcfd, for commercial customers, and 22.81 BCFD for industrials. However, they would fall to 29.83BCFD for power generation.

It compares with the all-time highs: 14.36 BCFD in 1996 for residential users, 9.63 BCFD in 2018 for commercial clients, 23.80 BCFD in 1973 for industry customers and 31.74 BCFD in 2020 for power generator.