Natural gas is a major source of electricity in the United States and globally. The figures below define the population, geography, period and measurement basis for generation, capacity, deliveries and regional comparisons.
Key Natural Gas Electricity Statistics
The most broadly useful figures are:
- In 2023, U.S. utility-scale generators produced 4,178 billion kWh of net electricity.
- In 2023, natural gas generated 1,802 billion kWh, or 43.1% of U.S. utility-scale electricity.
- In 2023, fossil fuels supplied 2,505 billion kWh, or 60.0% of U.S. utility-scale generation.
- In 2023, coal generated 675 billion kWh, or 16.2% of U.S. utility-scale electricity.
- In 2023, renewables generated 894 billion kWh, or 21.4% of U.S. utility-scale electricity.
- Between 2021 and 2023, off-peak natural-gas generation rose about 22% in the Lower 48.
- On August 2, 2024, U.S. natural-gas generation reached 7.1 million MWh.
- In summer 2024, nine of the ten highest U.S. natural-gas-generation days on record occurred.
- From summer 2014 to summer 2024, natural gas’s share of U.S. summer electricity generation rose from 29% to 45%.
- In 2024, New England generated 61,851 thousand MWh from natural gas, up 7.6% from 2023.
- In 2024, Texas generated 293,193 thousand MWh from natural gas, up 3.9% from 2023.
- In 2024, Florida generated 204,507 thousand MWh from natural gas, up 3.7% from 2023.
- By 2028, U.S. developers planned 18.7 GW of combined-cycle capacity for grid entry.
- In the May 2025 inventory, 4.3 GW of planned U.S. combined-cycle additions were under construction.
- In 2024, U.S. electric-power-sector gas deliveries totaled 36.8 Bcf/d.
- In 2024, global natural-gas electricity generation increased about 2.5%.
- In 2024, natural gas supplied over 40% of U.S. electricity generation, compared with 16% from coal and 18% from nuclear.
- In 2024, natural gas supplied 16% of European Union electricity generation, while renewables supplied nearly half.
Contents
- U.S. generation scale and fuel mix
- Generation trends and seasonal records
- Regional and state data
- Capacity plans and grid role
- Gas deliveries and electric-power demand
- Global natural gas electricity comparisons
U.S. Natural Gas Electricity Generation Scale and Fuel Mix
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that U.S. utility-scale generators produced 4,178 billion kWh in 2023. Utility-scale means plants with at least 1 MW of capacity, and the measure is net generation; small-scale solar is reported separately.
Natural gas produced 1,802 billion kWh, or 43.1% of utility-scale electricity. Fossil fuels together supplied 2,505 billion kWh, or 60.0%, including coal, natural gas, petroleum and other gases. EIA electricity generation by energy source
| 2023 U.S. utility-scale source | Generation | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,802 billion kWh | 43.1% |
| Fossil fuels | 2,505 billion kWh | 60.0% |
| Renewables | 894 billion kWh | 21.4% |
| Nuclear | 775 billion kWh | 18.6% |
| Coal | 675 billion kWh | 16.2% |
| Wind | 425 billion kWh | 10.2% |
The comparison categories overlap: natural gas is included in the fossil-fuel total, while wind is included in renewables. Nuclear, renewables, coal and wind are comparison sources rather than natural-gas measures.
Natural Gas Power Generation Trends and Seasonal Records
EIA hourly grid-monitor data show that off-peak natural-gas generation in the Lower 48 rose about 22% between 2021 and 2023. Balancing authorities report generation by primary fuel, so this does not measure actual fuel consumption. EIA natural-gas generation trends
Summer 2024 produced several U.S. records:
- Natural-gas generation reached 7.1 million MWh on August 2, 2024, 6.8% above the prior summer record from July 28, 2023.
- Nine of the ten highest U.S. natural-gas-generation days on record occurred in summer 2024, including six days in August.
- Total U.S. electricity generation in June through August 2024 was 3% higher than in summer 2023.
- Average daily natural-gas generation increased 3% in summer 2024 to 5.9 million MWh.
Natural gas supplied 29% of U.S. summer electricity generation in 2014 and 45% in 2024. EIA reports that the share increased every year except 2021, and the summer measure is not the same as annual generation. EIA summer 2024 records
Regional and State Natural Gas Electricity Data
EIA Form EIA-923 reports final utility-scale net generation from natural gas by state and sector for 2024 and 2023. Values may not equal components because of independent rounding, and relative changes should be read with the table’s reliability notes.
| Geography | 2024 generation | Change from 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| New England | 61,851 thousand MWh | +7.6% |
| East North Central | 237,114 thousand MWh | +7.0% |
| South Atlantic | 422,751 thousand MWh | +3.9% |
| West South Central | 440,925 thousand MWh | +3.0% |
| Mountain | 134,011 thousand MWh | +3.5% |
| Pacific Contiguous | 129,679 thousand MWh | −5.5% |
State results illustrate how different regional totals can be. Connecticut produced 26,036 thousand MWh, Massachusetts 16,203 thousand MWh, Maine 6,399 thousand MWh and Rhode Island 8,791 thousand MWh; their changes were +4.3%, +9.7%, +61.0% and −8.0%, respectively.
In the East North Central division, Illinois generated 30,137 thousand MWh, Indiana 39,860 thousand MWh and Ohio 85,137 thousand MWh, with changes of +6.0%, +14.4% and +8.2%. In the West North Central division, Kansas produced 5,318 thousand MWh and Minnesota 15,889 thousand MWh, up 21.7% and 14.9%.
The South Atlantic included 204,507 thousand MWh in Florida and 56,937 thousand MWh in Georgia, up 3.7% and down 5.2%. West South Central states included Louisiana at 75,263 thousand MWh, Oklahoma at 47,742 thousand MWh and Texas at 293,193 thousand MWh, changing +1.1%, +5.6% and +3.9%.
Arizona generated 55,090 thousand MWh, New Mexico 11,648 thousand MWh and Wyoming 5,426 thousand MWh in 2024. Their reported changes were +4.3%, −18.2% and +154.8%; Wyoming’s large relative change came from a low base.
The Pacific Contiguous total fell 5.5%, while California generated 86,656 thousand MWh, down 8.2%. EIA state natural-gas generation table
Natural Gas-Fired Capacity, Combined-Cycle Additions and Grid Role
EIA’s May 2025 inventory recorded 18.7 GW of combined-cycle capacity planned for U.S. grid entry by 2028. Of that planned total, 4.3 GW were already under construction, so the inventory is a forward-looking snapshot rather than completed capacity. EIA planned natural-gas capacity
One industrial-sector combined-cycle gas-turbine unit entered service at Plaquemines LNG in 2024, adding 98 MW. EIA reports a typical combined-cycle design lifetime of 25 to 30 years, while maintenance and upgrades can extend that period.
EIA defines utility-scale electricity systems as plants with at least 1 MW of capacity. Its capacity data are largely limited to utility-scale plants, which is why capacity and generation statistics should not be interpreted as complete measures of every small generator. EIA utility-scale definition
Natural Gas Deliveries to the Electric-Power Sector
U.S. deliveries to the electric-power sector totaled 36.8 Bcf/d in 2024, up 3.9% from 2023. Deliveries measure gas supplied to the sector, not gas burned at generators or electricity produced.
| 2024 U.S. gas-delivery measure | Value | Period or change |
|---|---|---|
| Electric-power sector | 36.8 Bcf/d | 2024; +3.9% from 2023 |
| All consuming sectors | 29.8 Tcf, or 81.5 Bcf/d | 2024; +1.1% daily rate |
| Residential sector | 12.0 Bcf/d | 2024; −3.3% |
| Commercial sector | 9.1 Bcf/d | 2024; −0.7% |
The all-sector total rose from 80.6 Bcf/d in 2023 to 81.5 Bcf/d in 2024. Residential and commercial deliveries are comparison measures, not electric-power demand. EIA Natural Gas Annual
Global Natural Gas Electricity Statistics and Regional Comparisons
The International Energy Agency reported that global electricity generation grew by more than 1,200 TWh, or 4%, in 2024. Natural-gas electricity generation increased about 2.5% worldwide, while fossil fuels supplied nearly 60% of global generation.
Natural gas was the world’s second-largest electricity source in 2024 and supplied more than 20% of global generation for over two decades. The IEA also reported 35% for coal, one-third for renewables and 9% for nuclear in 2024; these are rounded global shares, so exact natural-gas TWh should not be inferred from them. IEA Global Energy Review 2025
| Region | Natural gas or comparison share in 2024 |
|---|---|
| United States | Gas over 40%; coal 16%; nuclear 18% |
| European Union | Gas 16%; renewables nearly half |
| China | Coal almost 60%; renewables about 35% |
| India | Coal nearly three-quarters; renewables over 20% |
| Southeast Asia | Coal almost half; gas and renewables about one-quarter each |
The regional figures are rounded IEA comparisons. China’s gas and nuclear contributions were described as smaller, while the Southeast Asia values represent approximate shares rather than precise generation totals.