en.Wedoany.com Reported - A report on the performance of the U.S. natural gas system during Winter Storm Fern indicates that operators need a better understanding of bottleneck locations in interconnected energy systems under extreme conditions. Natural gas accounts for over 40% of U.S. electricity generation, making it the largest single source of power. The report comes as utilities and regulators enter the summer storm season, grappling with the balance between rapid load growth driven by electrification, data centers, and industrial demand, and increasingly weather-driven system stress.

Pawan Vaswani, Vice President of Energy and Commodities Strategy at AI platform developer Publicis Sapient (speaking independently of the report), stated that operators need a better understanding of potential bottleneck locations in interconnected energy systems under extreme conditions. In an email to Utility Dive, Vaswani said: "Weather events tend to expose dependencies that may not be apparent under normal operating conditions. Constraints in one part of the system can stress the rest of the value chain."

As many utilities and hyperscalers invest in new gas-fired power generation, the EVA report adds to the ongoing discussion on whether reliability planning should consider not only generation capacity but also the pipeline and storage infrastructure supplying these plants. Titled "Holding the Line: U.S. Natural Gas Performance During Winter Storm Fern," the report calls for electricity market design reforms to encourage generators to secure stable capacity and services aligned with their fuel security obligations, rather than relying on interruptible arrangements.

The report emphasizes: "Natural gas storage is a critical component of U.S. energy infrastructure, providing system reliability, stabilizing market prices, and enhancing resilience during periods of high demand and unexpected disruptions." It also urges federal and state officials to consider rules that exclude critical natural gas facilities from load-shedding plans, preventing them from being cut off during power emergencies.

The report warns that structural constraints persist in key regions, particularly the Northeast, where limited pipeline capacity led to sharp price spikes during the storm. At certain locations, prices surged to historic highs during peak demand periods, reflecting congestion and potential supply conditions. The study also modeled alternative pipeline scenarios, finding that additional capacity in constrained markets could have significantly reduced regional price volatility during Storm Fern, while decreasing reliance on higher-emission backup supplies such as fuel oil in parts of New England.

Specific data shows that if four delayed or canceled pipeline projects—Access Northeast, Transco Northeast Supply Enhancement, PennEast, and Constitution Pipeline—had been completed, winter monthly average prices at key Northeast hubs would have fallen by 10% to 20%, with even larger declines on peak demand days. The report concludes: "Overall, natural gas reliability for gas utilities depends on ongoing infrastructure development and maintenance, operational readiness, and the coordinated use of multiple supply and balancing tools during weather events."

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