The abundant availability of NG and electrical capacity, along with the world's spare oil capacity, vanished simultaneously in spring 2000. To meet the growing electricity needs, utilities have ordered 180.000 megawatts of gas-fired power plants to be installed by 2005. Doubts can be raised. During the summer, gas is pumped into underground salt caverns for use during the next winter. This schedule is now in trouble.
Air conditioners cause demand for gas-fired electricity to soar.
As the cavern storage isn't filled enough in summer, pipelines become another critical part of the NG puzzle. Hitting the ceiling The days of complacency with nobody 'checking the gas tank' are over. But USA production has not risen for fifteen years, and Canada is treading water, too. The USA is embarking on a 'dash for gas'. Future NG prices will very probably be driven by gas fired electricity.