The lowest U.S. natural gas prices in decades have incentivized a record-high gas consumption for power generation amid growing electricity demand. Even the less efficient steam turbines and single-cycle gas power plants, typically operating at peak demand periods, were fired up as the U.S. benchmark gas price hit multi-decade lows amid high inventories and a milder winter. Natural gas power plants accounted for about two-thirds of the 4% increase in total U.S. power generation in the first four months of the year, with solar…
