Natural gas-fired electricity generation increased in most US regions since 2015

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that natural gas-fired generation has increased in most U.S. regions over the last five years.

Since 2015, according to EIA’s Power Plant Operations Report, annual electricity generation from natural gas power plants in the United States increased by 31 percent in the Northeast, by 20 percent in the Central, and by 17 percent in the South. In the West region, electric power generation from natural gas power plants was down slightly.

As natural gas-fired generation has increased, so has gas-fired generating capacity. Most of this new natural gas-fired capacity was added in the Northeast region, particularly in the PJM Interconnection region.

The largest increases in U.S. natural gas-fired generation have occurred in the Central and Northeast regions, particularly in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Relatively low natural gas prices have made it more economical than using coal. When natural gas and coal are similarly priced, EIA said most natural gas-fired generators can produce electricity more efficiently than coal-fired generators, providing an economic advantage in electricity markets.

In the West region, growth in natural gas-fired generation actually declined 1 percent between 2015 and 2019. The biggest decline came from California, where Natural gas-fired generation declined 30 million MWh or about 29 percent.