Europe power demand firms in late March as forecasts point to early-spring pullback

Power-market watchers are seeing a short-term rebound in Europe just before an expected seasonal cooling of consumption patterns. In the week of March 23, electricity demand moved higher across most of the region’s main markets, reversing the prior week’s drop—an uptick that matters for balancing systems and near-term generation planning.

According to electricity demand increased across most major European markets, the strongest expansion came from France, where demand climbed by 4.4%. Growth was also recorded in Belgium (2.2%), Germany (1.7%), and Great Britain (1.4%). By comparison, Italy remained largely stable, showing no meaningful change over the same weekly period.

Iberia breaks ranks with sustained declines

The broader European picture was not uniform. Iberian Peninsula demand continued to diverge: Portugal registered a second consecutive weekly fall, dropping by 8.1%, while Spain posted its third straight decrease, with demand down by 1.6%.

Weather shifts help explain changing consumption

The report also links the consumption moves to changes in ambient conditions. Average temperatures decreased across most of the analyzed markets, which can alter heating and cooling needs and shift electricity usage profiles from one week to the next.

The temperature reductions ranged from 0.5°C in Italy to 2.1°C in France. Among the countries tracked, Portugal experienced relatively stable temperatures compared with the previous week—an important detail given that Portugal still saw its demand fall continue.

AleaSoft forecasts a reversal starting March 30

The near-term outlook points toward less momentum after this late-March rise. For the week of March 30, forecasts from AleaSoft Energy Forecasting indicate a <reversal of the recent upward trend, with electricity demand expected to decline across the main European markets.

Taken together, the data show how quickly weekly demand can swing across Europe—supportive conditions for system operators now, but potentially tighter expectations for consumption levels as spring progresses into early April.