Rating the States on Their Risk of Natural Gas Overreliance

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) analysis finds that two-thirds of U.S. states may be exposing electricity consumers to financial risks due to overreliance on natural gas. These risks include price volatility, potential carbon pricing costs, and the possibility of stranded assets such as underused plants and pipelines. The report rates states across five categories, identifying Florida as the only state with a "High" risk rating in all five. To mitigate these risks, the report advocates for prioritizing renewable energy and energy efficiency over natural gas as a primary solution for carbon reduction under the federal Clean Power Plan.

• Two-thirds of U.S. states are identified as putting electricity consumers at financial risk due to an overreliance on natural gas.
• Overreliance on natural gas exposes consumers to three primary financial risks: price volatility caused by supply shortages or use in other sectors, higher electricity rates if carbon pricing is implemented, and the cost of stranded assets like abandoned plants and pipelines.
• State-level dependence on natural gas varies significantly; as of 2014, Rhode Island had the highest share of in-state electricity generation from natural gas at 95%, followed by Delaware (83%), Nevada (63%), and Florida (62%).
• Many states are increasing their commitment to natural gas through new construction; in 26 states, more than half of the power plants being built between 2014 and 2017 rely on natural gas, with Delaware, Louisiana, and South Carolina at 100%.
• Florida is the only state rated as "High" risk across all five categories examined by UCS, while 16 states total have "High" risk ratings in three or more categories.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2015). Rating the States on Their Risk of Natural Gas Overreliance. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/12/natural-gas-overreliance-analysis-document.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Rating the States on Their Risk of Natural Gas Overreliance. 2015. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/12/natural-gas-overreliance-analysis-document.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Rating the States on Their Risk of Natural Gas Overreliance |date=October 2015 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/12/natural-gas-overreliance-analysis-document.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2015rating, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Rating the States on Their Risk of Natural Gas Overreliance}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2015}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/12/natural-gas-overreliance-analysis-document.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }