U.S. underground natural gas storage capacity of the 375 active storage fields in the Lower 48 states increased in 2025, according to an annual report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Thursday.
The EIA uses two metrics to assess storage capacity: demonstrated peak capacity, which rose 0.1%, or 6 billion cubic feet (bcf), in 2025, and working gas design capacity, which rose 0.6%, or 26 bcf, last year.
One billion cubic feet of gas is enough to supply about 5 million U.S. homes for a day.
On an annual basis, U.S. energy firms produce much more gas than the country uses on average – 110.6 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of production versus 91.2 bcfd of demand expected in 2026.
But, during the cold winter months, homes and businesses use more gas for heating on average than energy firms can produce – 113.0 bcfd of production versus 120.7 bcfd of demand expected in January 2027.
Demonstrated peak capacity rose to 4,280 bcf from December 2020 to November 2025, up from 4,274 bcf from December 2019 to December 2024.
Demonstrated peak capacity, or total maximum demonstrated working gas capacity, represents the sum of the largest volume of working gas reported for each individual storage field during the most recent five-year period, regardless of when the individual peaks occurred.
Design capacity, also referred to as nameplate capacity, meanwhile, rose to 4,683 bcf in November 2025, up from 4,657 bcf in November 2024. Design capacity, which excludes 28 inactive fields, is a theoretical limit on the total amount of gas that can be stored underground and withdrawn for use.
(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by David Gregorio)