Today in Energy

Natural gas pipeline projects completed in the United States in 2025 increased capacity by approximately 6.3 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), according to our recently updated Natural Gas Pipeline Projects Tracker. A substantial portion, 85%, or 5.3 Bcf/d, of this new capacity is dedicated to delivering natural gas to the South Central region of the United States. This region includes the Gulf Coast, where much of the nation's growing natural gas demand, particularly from liquefied natural gas (LNG), is concentrated. The new capacity primarily connects both new and existing supply sources to consumers in the region.

Ten years ago, on February 24, 2016, the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo from the Sabine Pass Terminal was exported from the United States, marking the beginning of a new era in U.S. LNG exports. Today, the United States is the world's largest LNG exporter, ahead of both Australia and Qatar. LNG exports surged from 0.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2016 to 15.0 Bcf/d in 2025, and in our February Short-Term Energy Outlook, we forecast U.S. LNG exports to exceed 18.1 Bcf/d in 2027. LNG exports from the United States increased for several reasons, including abundant natural gas supply and reserves, flexible LNG export contracts, and relatively low feedgas costs. In addition, increasing international demand and a favorable investment climate have supported LNG infrastructure expansions in the United States.

U.S. power plant owners and operators plan to retire nearly 11 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale electric generating capacity from the U.S. power grid this year, according to data reported to us in our latest Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory. Almost all the scheduled retirements are either coal-fired power plants (58%) or steam turbines and simple-cycle natural gas (42%).

U.S. power plant developers and operators plan to add 86 gigawatts (GW) of new utility-scale electric generating capacity to the U.S. power grid in 2026 in our latest Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory report, a record if realized. Solar power makes up 51% of the planned 2026 capacity additions, followed by battery storage at 28% and wind at 14%.

The first large-scale commercial enhanced geothermal system (EGS) power generator in the United States is under construction with the company reporting in our generator survey that it plans to bring the project online in June 2026. Below, we examine what enhanced geothermal systems are and how they differ from conventional geothermal systems.