ANAHEIM, California — Predictions of unprecedented electricity demand growth in the coming years — much of it from a single class of customer: data centers — dominated talks at the annual meeting of utility regulators here this week.
Almost as prevalent was agreement that natural gas will play an increasingly important role in meeting that new demand. Even if new renewable generation and battery storage soaks up much of the growth, gas-fired power plants will be leaned on more than ever to meet periods of peak demand, said Chris Moser, a senior vice president at NRG Energy, a Houston-based competitive power provider.
“Gas is the swing fuel,” Moser said Tuesday at the winter meeting of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners.
Across the nation, utilities are making plans to add new gas-fired generators, even some in states with state laws requiring 100 percent carbon-free electricity in the next two decades. And that was before last week’s election returning former President Donald Trump to the White House and the expectation that he’ll move swiftly to unwind EPA’s rule to limit power plant carbon emissions. That could free up utilities to propose more gas projects.
