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Overview of the U.S. Natural Gas Industry
Demand - Due to its affordability, cleanliness, efficiency and reliability, the demand for natural gas is growing at a steady rate. In fact, natural gas consumption may increase 6 percent by 2015, according to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) forecasts.
- Most of the growth in natural gas demand comes from electricity generators, who have turned to natural gas because it is the cleanest-burning fossil fuel and highly efficient.
- Natural gas supplies nearly one-fourth (22 percent) of all of the energy
Customers (69+ million) | Number of Customers | Percentage of Total U.S. Natural Gas Consumption | | Residential 61 percent of all U.S.
households use natural gas. Of all heated U.S. households: - 51% heat with natural gas
- 33% heat with electricity
- 8% heat with fuel oil
- 6% heat with propane
| 64,400,000 | 23% | | Commercial (restaurants, retailers, hotels, schools, churches, offices, etc.) | 5,275,000 | 14% | | Industrial (incl. manufacturing) | 200,000 | 32% | | Electric Power Generation (incl. electric utilities, independent power producers, and industrial electricity sold back to the grid) | 2,600 | 31% | Delivery System - Natural gas is delivered to customers through a safe, 2.3-million mile underground pipeline system. This includes 1.9 million miles of local utility distribution pipes; and 300,000 miles of transmission lines.
Supply - Natural gas is a domestic energy source. In 2007, 82 percent of the natural gas consumed in the United States was produced in the U.S. The remaining 14 percent came from Canada, with 4 percent imported as liquefied natural gas (LNG).
- U.S. natural gas resources are estimated to be 1.525 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) – enough to last more than 80 years at current production rates.
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