U.S. Natural Gas Consumption Reached New High in 2019 Amid Growing Power Sector Demand: EIA

U.S. natural gas consumption rose by 3 percent last year, reaching a record of 85 billion cubic feet per day, according to a March 3 report from the Energy Information Administration. The agency attributed the increase to new gas-fired electric capacity and lower natural gas prices.

• In 2019, the electric power sector accounted for 36 percent of total domestic U.S. natural gas consumption.
• Consumption grew in the electric power sector by 2 Bcf/d, or 7 percent last year, but remained relatively flat in the commercial, residential, and industrial sectors.
• New natural gas generation capacity additions have continued to displace coal-fired power plants, with about 5 percent of the total coal fleet retired in 2019.
• Natural gas continues to account for the largest share of electricity generation after surpassing coal on an annual basis in 2016, and accounted for 38 percent of total generation last year.
• The U.S. set a monthly record for power sector consumption of 41.1 Bcf/d in July 2019, then exceeded that level to reach 41.6 Bcf/d in August.