U.S. LNG Exports Surge as Storms Disrupt Power Grids

Germany has increased its reliance on American liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a key energy source, with LNG now comprising 12% of its total gas supply in the first half of 2026, up from 10% a year earlier, according to data from the German regulator Bundesnetzagentur. The Federal Network Agency noted that LNG supply from U.S. sources increased even during the Iran war, as supply from Qatar and the UAE was choked off by the closed Strait of Hormuz for most of the past four months.

Despite these global disruptions, global LNG liquefaction volumes had slightly exceeded the previous year's level by May 2026, with production at about 1.59 billion cubic meters per day, up from 1.56 billion cubic meters per day in May 2025. The German regulator stated that Germany’s gas supply is stable and currently assesses the risk to gas supply as low. However, it noted that Germany’s industrial gas demand has slumped since the conflict began due to volatile prices.

Early this year, German utility giant Uniper, one of Northwest Europe’s largest LNG importers, said it was not concerned that Europe now gets more than half of its LNG supply from the United States, as it is the most economical solution. Still, the company's chief commercial officer, Carsten Poppinga, said in early February that buyers need to diversify supply sources to manage risks.

Meanwhile, severe storms have left more than 620,000 customers in the United States without power as of late Sunday, July 5, according to PowerOutage.com. Michigan and Pennsylvania had the highest share of customers out of power, at 2% and 1.7%, respectively. Pennsylvania’s PPL Electric Utilities said restoration is expected to be a multi-day effort, continuing through Wednesday, July 8, after identifying more than 2,360 individual locations of damage.

The severe storms followed an extreme heat wave, during which PJM Interconnection, the operator of the largest U.S. electric grid, issued a maximum generation alert late last week, asking power producers to maximize electricity generation amid soaring demand.

In a separate industry development, data analytics firm Enverus announced on July 6 that it has published its annual list of "the 100 most prolific private oil and gas producers in the United States," according to a Rigzone report. The list highlights the ongoing significance of private operators in the U.S. energy landscape.