CoBank: Gas plant buildout will be slower and costlier, keeping US power prices high
ben_j_todd · x · 2026-10-18
CoBank analyst Teri Viswanath argues that US gas-fired generation capacity in development has more than tripled in two years, but this build cycle differs sharply from the 1990s and post-shale booms.
- Turbines, transformers, interconnection access and fuel infrastructure are harder and costlier to secure, while data center growth, industrial expansion and coal retirements drive urgent demand for firm capacity — making the gas buildout slower, more selective and more inflationary than project pipelines suggest.
- Constraints are pushing large loads closer to power and fuel infrastructure, and a broader sponsor mix is reshaping competition and plant siting.
- Likely outcome: tight reserve margins and high electricity costs for much of the next decade; cooperatives can soften the impact via diversified procurement, load management and large-load rate design.
Related event: US gas power buildout surges: 86GW of new capacity seen in 2026(2 posts)→
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