US Natural Gas Supply and Demand Set for Record Highs in 2026 and 2027

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) has released its Short-Term Energy Outlook for 2026 and 2027, predicting a surge in natural gas supply and demand to record highs.

Dry gas production is expected to rise from 107.6 billion cubic feet per day in 2025 to 111.7 bcfd in 2026 and 115.9 bcfd in 2027, while domestic gas consumption will increase from a record 91.9 bcfd in 2025 to 92.2 bcfd in 2026 and 94.3 bcfd in 2027.

The EIA also forecasts average US liquefied natural gas exports to rise from 15.1 bcfd in 2025 to 17.4 bcfd in 2026 and 18.6 bcfd in 2027, with US gas inventories expected to be about 5% above the five-year average on October 31.

As power generators are expected to burn less coal in coming years, US coal production is projected to drop from a two-year high of 528.4 million short tons in 2025 to 516.3 million tons in 2026 and 496.7 million tons in 2027.