According to the US Energy Information Administration, US gas consumption rose by 10% to 82.1 bcf/d (2.3 bcm/d or 848 bcm/year), pulled by a dynamic demand from the power sector and by weather-related factors. The electricity sector accounted for 35% of gas demand in 2018, followed by industry (28%), households (17%), businesses (12%) and others (9%).
Gas consumption in the power sector rose by +3.8 bcf/d in 2018, i.e. +39 bcm during the year, reaching 29.1 bcf/d (around 300 bcm during the year). About 14.5 GW of new gas-fired power capacity were added during the year, while almost 13 GW of coal-fired capacities were retired. Consequently, gas accounted for 35% of utility-scale power generation in 2018, widening the gap with coal-fired generation (27%).
US gas consumption was also influenced by climatic conditions, with several periods of extremely warm and cold weather. Gas consumption rose in the winter as gas is the largest energy source for space heating in the residential and commercial sector, as well as in the summer, when gas was used in the power sector to meet air conditioning demand. Gas consumption grew in the residential sector (+13%), in the commercial sector (+10%), and in industry (+4%).