SPA Demand Forecast Accuracy: Error, Bias and Worst Miss, 6 October to 5 November 2026

The day-ahead demand forecast for SPA was off by 54.0% on average (mean absolute percentage error) over 595 hours from 6 October to 5 November 2026, and 9% of hours landed within 5% of the reading. Its bias was +41.3%: it ran high on average, an over forecast. The largest miss was 29 MW (414.3%) too high at 9 Oct 2026, 16:00 CDT (UTC-05:00). Dates and times are local (America/Chicago).

This grid has 595 compared hours out of the 720 in its 30 day window, because the forecast or the demand reading is missing for the rest. Treat the figures as a shorter sample.

Key Facts

  • The day-ahead demand forecast for SPA was off by 54.0% on average (mean absolute percentage error) over 595 hours from 6 October to 5 November 2026, and 9% of hours landed within 5% of the reading. Its bias was +41.3%: it ran high on average, an over forecast. The largest miss was 29 MW (414.3%) too high at 9 Oct 2026, 16:00 CDT (UTC-05:00).
  • Across 53 US grids ranked by average error over their own latest 30 day windows, SPA came 53 (1 is the smallest error).
  • On average the forecast differed from reported demand by 7 MW, against average demand of 18 MW.
  • The forecast was above reported demand in 68% of compared hours.

Forecast Error at a Glance

595 hours from 6 October to 5 November 2026
Average error54.0%
Bias+41.3%
Hours within 5%9%
Worst miss29 MW

Average error is the mean absolute percentage gap between the forecast and reported demand. Bias is the signed mean (+4 MW per hour on average): the forecast ran high on average, an over forecast. The worst miss was 29 MW (414.3%) too high at 9 Oct 2026, 16:00 CDT (UTC-05:00): forecast 36 MW, reported 7 MW.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (US Government work, public domain) Data as of 2026-11-05. Accuracy is computed by World Power Monitor from the operator's hourly forecast and reported demand.

Forecast and Reported Demand, Last 7 Days

Local time, to 5 Nov 2026, 07:00 CST (UTC-06:00)
SPA day-ahead demand forecast and reported demand by hour Hourly reported demand and the day-ahead forecast for SPA over the last 7 days of the window, to 5 Nov 2026, 07:00 CST (UTC-06:00). Gaps are hours with a missing, zero or implausible report. 0 10 20 30 40 29 Oct, 09:0030 Oct, 09:0031 Oct, 09:001 Nov, 08:002 Nov, 08:003 Nov, 08:004 Nov, 08:00
Hourly reported demand and the day-ahead forecast for SPA over the last 7 days of the window, to 5 Nov 2026, 07:00 CST (UTC-06:00). Gaps are hours with a missing, zero or implausible report.
Data to 2026-11-05
Show the data table (168 rows)
Local hourReported demandDay-ahead forecast
29 Oct, 09:0022 MW21 MW
29 Oct, 10:0016 MW25 MW
29 Oct, 11:00n/a24 MW
29 Oct, 12:0011 MW26 MW
29 Oct, 13:0016 MW27 MW
29 Oct, 14:009 MW27 MW
29 Oct, 15:0010 MW27 MW
29 Oct, 16:0024 MW29 MW
29 Oct, 17:0012 MW28 MW
29 Oct, 18:0013 MW26 MW
29 Oct, 19:008 MW25 MW
29 Oct, 20:0023 MW24 MW
29 Oct, 21:0014 MW20 MW
29 Oct, 22:0014 MW21 MW
29 Oct, 23:0017 MWn/a
30 Oct, 00:0022 MWn/a
30 Oct, 01:0015 MWn/a
30 Oct, 02:0024 MWn/a
30 Oct, 03:0019 MW7 MW
30 Oct, 04:0019 MWn/a
30 Oct, 05:0021 MW20 MW
30 Oct, 06:0031 MW20 MW
30 Oct, 07:0015 MW20 MW
30 Oct, 08:0021 MW21 MW
30 Oct, 09:0019 MW21 MW
30 Oct, 10:0013 MW22 MW
30 Oct, 11:007 MW24 MW
30 Oct, 12:0013 MW24 MW
30 Oct, 13:0017 MW22 MW
30 Oct, 14:007 MW27 MW
30 Oct, 15:0010 MW25 MW
30 Oct, 16:0017 MW23 MW
30 Oct, 17:0011 MW22 MW
30 Oct, 18:0018 MW24 MW
30 Oct, 19:0013 MW21 MW
30 Oct, 20:0010 MW19 MW
30 Oct, 21:006 MW22 MW
30 Oct, 22:0013 MW18 MW
30 Oct, 23:0016 MWn/a
31 Oct, 00:0011 MWn/a
31 Oct, 01:0024 MWn/a
31 Oct, 02:0012 MWn/a
31 Oct, 03:0013 MWn/a
31 Oct, 04:0018 MWn/a
31 Oct, 05:0016 MW16 MW
31 Oct, 06:0013 MW16 MW
31 Oct, 07:0024 MW18 MW
31 Oct, 08:0013 MW18 MW
31 Oct, 09:0010 MW17 MW
31 Oct, 10:0018 MW19 MW
31 Oct, 11:0015 MW21 MW
31 Oct, 12:0018 MW18 MW
31 Oct, 13:007 MW20 MW
31 Oct, 14:0014 MW19 MW
31 Oct, 15:0010 MW18 MW
31 Oct, 16:0020 MW17 MW
31 Oct, 17:0012 MW18 MW
31 Oct, 18:009 MW19 MW
31 Oct, 19:0015 MW16 MW
31 Oct, 20:0012 MW16 MW
31 Oct, 21:0016 MW17 MW
31 Oct, 22:0013 MW15 MW
31 Oct, 23:0020 MWn/a
1 Nov, 00:008 MWn/a
1 Nov, 01:0011 MW12 MW
1 Nov, 01:0014 MW12 MW
1 Nov, 02:008 MW12 MW
1 Nov, 03:0012 MW12 MW
1 Nov, 04:0012 MW15 MW
1 Nov, 05:0015 MW13 MW
1 Nov, 06:0028 MW18 MW
1 Nov, 07:006 MW16 MW
1 Nov, 08:0017 MW16 MW
1 Nov, 09:0012 MW17 MW
1 Nov, 10:009 MW17 MW
1 Nov, 11:0010 MW16 MW
1 Nov, 12:0014 MW19 MW
1 Nov, 13:0021 MW18 MW
1 Nov, 14:009 MW17 MW
1 Nov, 15:0030 MW19 MW
1 Nov, 16:0013 MW18 MW
1 Nov, 17:0015 MW18 MW
1 Nov, 18:0012 MW16 MW
1 Nov, 19:006 MW17 MW
1 Nov, 20:0010 MW16 MW
1 Nov, 21:0019 MW17 MW
1 Nov, 22:0011 MW15 MW
1 Nov, 23:0013 MWn/a
2 Nov, 00:0019 MWn/a
2 Nov, 01:0020 MWn/a
2 Nov, 02:0021 MW10 MW
2 Nov, 03:0026 MW16 MW
2 Nov, 04:0029 MW14 MW
2 Nov, 05:0031 MW16 MW
2 Nov, 06:0026 MW18 MW
2 Nov, 07:0031 MW21 MW
2 Nov, 08:0013 MW18 MW
2 Nov, 09:0024 MW20 MW
2 Nov, 10:0022 MW21 MW
2 Nov, 11:0023 MW21 MW
2 Nov, 12:0021 MW24 MW
2 Nov, 13:0017 MW19 MW
2 Nov, 14:0018 MW24 MW
2 Nov, 15:0029 MW23 MW
2 Nov, 16:0022 MW21 MW
2 Nov, 17:0019 MW22 MW
2 Nov, 18:0015 MW21 MW
2 Nov, 19:00n/a21 MW
2 Nov, 20:0019 MW19 MW
2 Nov, 21:0017 MW19 MW
2 Nov, 22:0013 MW19 MW
2 Nov, 23:0017 MW19 MW
3 Nov, 00:0015 MWn/a
3 Nov, 01:0015 MWn/a
3 Nov, 02:0018 MWn/a
3 Nov, 03:0012 MW16 MW
3 Nov, 04:0024 MW16 MW
3 Nov, 05:006 MW17 MW
3 Nov, 06:0016 MW21 MW
3 Nov, 07:0011 MW21 MW
3 Nov, 08:0024 MW23 MW
3 Nov, 09:009 MW24 MW
3 Nov, 10:0024 MW25 MW
3 Nov, 11:0018 MW27 MW
3 Nov, 12:0021 MW25 MW
3 Nov, 13:0011 MW28 MW
3 Nov, 14:0018 MW22 MW
3 Nov, 15:0016 MW25 MW
3 Nov, 16:0018 MW24 MW
3 Nov, 17:0018 MW24 MW
3 Nov, 18:00n/a22 MW
3 Nov, 19:0022 MW22 MW
3 Nov, 20:0011 MW21 MW
3 Nov, 21:00n/a24 MW
3 Nov, 22:0017 MW21 MW
3 Nov, 23:0012 MW19 MW
4 Nov, 00:0011 MWn/a
4 Nov, 01:0021 MWn/a
4 Nov, 02:0013 MWn/a
4 Nov, 03:0017 MWn/a
4 Nov, 04:008 MW17 MW
4 Nov, 05:0016 MW17 MW
4 Nov, 06:0016 MW21 MW
4 Nov, 07:007 MW21 MW
4 Nov, 08:0016 MW22 MW
4 Nov, 09:0010 MW20 MW
4 Nov, 10:0013 MW23 MW
4 Nov, 11:0014 MW19 MW
4 Nov, 12:0010 MW21 MW
4 Nov, 13:0020 MW20 MW
4 Nov, 14:0016 MW23 MW
4 Nov, 15:0016 MW19 MW
4 Nov, 16:006 MW23 MW
4 Nov, 17:0017 MW21 MW
4 Nov, 18:0018 MW22 MW
4 Nov, 19:0014 MW20 MW
4 Nov, 20:0020 MW23 MW
4 Nov, 21:009 MW21 MW
4 Nov, 22:0018 MW22 MW
4 Nov, 23:0012 MW13 MW
5 Nov, 00:0028 MWn/a
5 Nov, 01:0012 MWn/a
5 Nov, 02:0019 MW10 MW
5 Nov, 03:0020 MW16 MW
5 Nov, 04:0015 MW19 MW
5 Nov, 05:0024 MW19 MW
5 Nov, 06:009 MW22 MW
5 Nov, 07:009 MW24 MW

Assumptions

  • Only hours with both a forecast and a positive demand reading count (595 of 720 hours in the window). Missing and zero values, and readings under 30% or over 3 times the grid's own median for the window, are treated as reporting faults and left out.
  • Error is (forecast minus reported demand) divided by reported demand; average error uses absolute values so high and low misses do not cancel. Bias keeps the sign and does cancel.
  • Reported demand is preliminary and may be revised. A 30 day window is a short sample and one heat wave or holiday can move these figures.
  • US figures are for the EIA balancing authority or region named on this page. US and European grids are ranked separately.
Cite this page
APA 7

World Power Monitor. (2026). SPA Demand Forecast Accuracy: Error, Bias and Worst Miss. https://worldpowermonitor.com/forecast-accuracy/spa/

Plain text

World Power Monitor. SPA Demand Forecast Accuracy: Error, Bias and Worst Miss. Data as of 2026-11-05. Data from U.S. Energy Information Administration. https://worldpowermonitor.com/forecast-accuracy/spa/

BibTeX
@misc{wpm_forecast_accuracy_spa_2026,
  title = {{SPA Demand Forecast Accuracy: Error, Bias and Worst Miss}},
  author = {{World Power Monitor}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-05. Data from U.S. Energy Information Administration.},
  url = {https://worldpowermonitor.com/forecast-accuracy/spa/}
}

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