The end is nigh
US power sector demand for natural gas is soaring. The glut could be about to end
A steaming hot summer has sent the US power sector's demand for natural gas to record levels, helping to draw down bulging stocks. Last year, gas overtook coal as the country's top fuel for power generation. On 21 July, consumption reached its highest ever daily level, at 40.9bn cubic feet per day. It might be a sign of things to come. Changing weather patterns will also drive US gas consumption higher throughout the coming winter months. El Niño periods have typically been bearish for gas prices because they bring warmer winters to the north and wetter rainy seasons in the west. But la Niña, which follows, usually brings hotter summers in the north. More air conditioning, plus stormier hurr
Also in this section
14 April 2026
The GECF has warned it may revise its projections for demand this year downwards in light of conflict in the Middle East, although it maintains its forecasts for 2027 and onwards
13 April 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis highlights sharp shift from crude oversupply to market deficit, with Iraq and Kuwait badly affected and key producers Saudi Arabia and the UAE also seeing output sharply lower
13 April 2026
Turkmenistan is moving ahead with a modest expansion of the giant Galkynysh field to sustain gas deliveries abroad, but persistent delays to other key pipeline projects and geopolitical risks continue to constrain its export ambitions
13 April 2026
Expensive electricity has forced out swathes of energy-intensive industry and now threatens the country’s ability to attract future investment in datacentres and the digital economy






