(Reuters) – U.S. natural gas output will rise to a record high in 2026, while demand will decline, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in its short-term energy outlook on Tuesday.
EIA projected dry gas production will rise from a record 107.7 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2025 to 109.5 bcfd in 2026 and 112.3 bcfd in 2027.
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The agency also projected domestic gas consumption will fall from a record 91.9 bcfd in 2025 to 91.4 bcfd in 2026 before rising to 92.1 bcfd in 2027.
The March projections for 2026 were lower than EIA’s forecasts in February of 110.0 bcfd for production and 91.6 bcfd for demand.
The agency forecast average U.S. liquefied natural gas exports would rise from a record 15.1 bcfd in 2025 to 16.7 bcfd in 2026 and 18.1 bcfd in 2027.
With power generators expected to burn less coal this year, the EIA projected U.S. coal production would drop from a two-year high of 533.0 million short tons in 2025 to 513.9 million tons in 2026 and 498.0 million tons in 2027, the lowest since 1963.
EIA projected carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels would decline from a three-year high of 4.904 billion metric tons in 2025 to 4.820 billion metric tons in 2026 as oil, coal and gas use decreases, and 4.816 billion metric tons in 2027 as coal use declines.
Reporting by Scott DiSavino, editing by Deepa Babington
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