From 1990 through 2004, according to EIA, Natural Gas consumption in the United States increased by about 16 percent. EIAs latest Short-Term Energy Oulook projects that total natural gas demand will fall by 0.8 percent in 2005, due mainly to higher prices and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, In 2006, natural gas consumption is expected to recover by 2.8 percent due to an assumed return to normal weather. In addition, a rebound in industrial activity is expected to increase natural gas demand in that sector by about 6 percent over 2005 levels. Natural gas is consumed in the United States mainly in the industrial (38 percent), electric power (24 percent), residential (22 percent), and commercial (13 percent) sectors.
U.S. natural gas consumption and imports are expected to expand substantially in coming decades, with the fastest volumetric growth resulting from additional natural-gas-fired electric power plants. Increased U.S. natural gas consumption will require significant investments in new pipelines and other natural gas infrastructure. New LNG terminals are projected to start coming into operation in 2006, and net LNG imports are expected to increase to 6.4 trillion cubic feet in 2025. Net imports of natural gas from Canada are projected to decline from 3.0 trillion cubic feet in 2005 to 2.5 trillion cubic feet in 2009, rise again to 3.0 trillion cubic feet in 2015, and then decline to 2.5 trillion cubic feet in 2025.