During the week of March 17, electricity demand declined in most major European electricity markets compared to the previous week, reversing the earlier upward trend. The Netherlands experienced the most significant drop, with a 16% decrease in demand. In other markets, the decline ranged from 1.2% in Spain to 7.9% in France. Conversely, demand in Italy and Portugal saw slight increases of 0.8% and 0.2%, respectively, with Portugal continuing its upward trend for the second consecutive week.
The decrease in electricity demand was largely attributed to rising average temperatures. Temperature increases ranged from 1.4°C in Portugal to 5.8°C in Belgium. Italy, however, was an exception, recording a temperature drop of 3.4°C, which contributed to its slight increase in electricity demand.
Looking ahead to the week of March 24, AleaSoft Energy Forecasting predicts an increase in electricity demand in the British, Dutch, and Belgian markets. In contrast, demand is expected to decline in Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, AleaSoft reports.
