US natural gas consumption set to hit record high Image By EPN staff Key Points U.S. natural gas consumption is projected to reach a record 91.4 billion cubic feet per day in 2025, up 1% from last year due mainly to colder winter weather. Heating demand and AI-driven electricity use are the biggest growth drivers, even as natural gas loses some power-sector share to renewables. Infrastructure strain is growing, with long wait times for gas turbines and dozens of new plants planned—especially in Texas and the Gulf Coast—to meet rising domestic and export needs. U.S. natural gas consumption will likely break a record this year, according to the Energy Information Administration, which predicts a 1% increase over last year due primarily to colder winter months that drove up heating demand. If the EIA’s prediction holds, U.S. natural gas consumption will hit 91.4 billion cubic feet a day. Why it matters Natural gas is by far the largest source of electricity in the United States, although the EIA expects electric power sector usage to decrease slightly this year, losing market share to coal, solar and wind. Increased natural gas usage to heat residential and commercial buildings should offset that, as roughly 45% of U.S. homes use natural gas as their primary heating fuel, according to the EIA. The EIA predicts U.S. natural gas consumption will decrease slightly in 2026, in part due to expected milder weather in the winter months, which would lower usage for heating. The bigger picture Longer term, natural gas usage may rise further as overall electricity demand increases to power artificial intelligence, more coal-fired electricity plants are replaced by natural gas plants and U.S. liquid natural gas exports increase. Oil and gas companies expect a spike with new ports and pipelines under construction to ship U.S. liquid natural gas out of Texas and Louisiana to meet growing world demand. Energy-intensive data centers will also drive growth domestically. Goldman Sachs predicted earlier this year that natural gas would supply some 60% of AI and data center power demand growth, and the oil and gas industry seems bullish about the opportunity. “Natural gas will help power the rapid growth of artificial intelligence with its insatiable demand for reliable electricity,” Chevron Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth said earlier this year. “This means AI’s advance will depend not only on the design labs of Silicon Valley, but also on the gas fields of the Permian Basin.” Yes but All this growth will require significant new infrastructure, which takes time to build. Multiple companies reported earlier this year that wait times for turbines needed in gas-fired plants are as long as 7 years. Texas alone has 130 new gas plants, or existing plant expansions, proposed or under construction, according to one count. SUGGESTED STORIES Another large reserve of natural gas discovered off Gulf Coast The U.S. Geological Survey says there’s a newly discovered and “substantial” cache of natural gas in rock formations that lie largely beneath Louisiana. The USGS estimates it found 35.8 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of technically recoverable natural gas – roughly what the United States Read more Momentum for U.S. liquefied natural gas grows Australia's largest oil and gas company has approved a $17.5 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Louisiana, another sign of the United States' growing LNG export market and of Louisiana’s momentum in the broader energy economy. The Woodside Energy project, simply called Read more U.S. seeks overhaul of liquified natural gas regulations After two decades, the U.S. Department of Transportation is updating its rules for liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities to support a fast-growing energy export industry. In compliance with the president’s “Unleashing American Energy” execut Read more
Another large reserve of natural gas discovered off Gulf Coast The U.S. Geological Survey says there’s a newly discovered and “substantial” cache of natural gas in rock formations that lie largely beneath Louisiana. The USGS estimates it found 35.8 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of technically recoverable natural gas – roughly what the United States Read more
Momentum for U.S. liquefied natural gas grows Australia's largest oil and gas company has approved a $17.5 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Louisiana, another sign of the United States' growing LNG export market and of Louisiana’s momentum in the broader energy economy. The Woodside Energy project, simply called Read more
U.S. seeks overhaul of liquified natural gas regulations After two decades, the U.S. Department of Transportation is updating its rules for liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities to support a fast-growing energy export industry. In compliance with the president’s “Unleashing American Energy” execut Read more
