How Utilities Are Overbuilding Gas Plants Beyond Reliability

Episode 32 of Energy Economics with Fexingo dives into a surprising trend: even as renewable capacity surges, U.S. utilities are building new natural gas plants at a pace not seen in years. Lucas and Luna examine why — from data center electricity demand to the limitations of battery storage. They reference real numbers: Henry Hub natural gas at $3.36, and the recent jump in utilities like NextEra Energy. The hosts also look at a specific case: a Duke Energy plant in the Southeast that was justified as 'reliability' but is now running more hours than forecast. Is this a hedge against renewable intermittency, or a subtle bet on gas demand for decades to come? The conversation connects to the broader oil and gas divergence seen in 2026, and asks whether the grid is truly transitioning or simply expanding. #NaturalGas #Utilities #RenewableEnergy #DukeEnergy #NextEraEnergy #GridReliability #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #EnergyEconomics #OilAndGas #HenryHub #LNG #PowerGrid #DataCenters #BatteryStorage #EnergyTransition #Economics #June2026 Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo