Natural Gas And Hurricanes

 | Sep 20, 2017 09:50AM ET

h3 Hurricane Consequences May Increase Electricity Demand

In the US, the consequences of Harvey and Irma hurricanes are being eliminated. In particular, the electricity supply is restored, which may increase the demand for electricity. Will the natural gas prices increase?

On Tuesday, in the US state of Florida, 98% of consumers, previously deprived of electricity because of the destruction caused by Hurricane Irma, were connected. In the US, approximately 30% of electricity is generated by gas thermal power plants. An additional factor in increasing the demand for American natural gas may be an increase in its exports, including in the form of LNG. In August, the shipping from the Sabine Pass LNG terminal reached its historic high. This week, the volume of the US natural gas exports reached 8.6 bln cubic feet, which is by 65% more than in the same week of the last year. Rising oil prices also contribute to the increase of natural gas prices.