Summary

Natural gas is an economic disaster in the US and global demand will fall a record 3% this year.
IEA says gas is not a bridging fuel.
Leading US Utilities exit coal without purchasing new gas plants. Major US LNG export deal with French company Engie cancelled.
Gas losing out to batteries on backup power.
With new global emphasis on net zero emissions by 2050, investors might consider if investment in natural gas makes sense or whether they should pivot to renewable energy investment.

You know that things are changing when in some parts of the world it is cheaper to build a new solar PV facility with battery storage than to run a coal or gas power plant. And also it is refreshing to see a factual commentary about the role of gas in energy provision, as opposed to claiming that it is better than coal (with no reference to the fact that if escaped gas emissions are included, gas is comparable with coal in its emissions profile). In Australia, the Australian Gas Networks had an advertising campaign claiming that gas is “the cleanest” fuel; the advertising regulator Ads Standards has recently ruled that it is misleading to call gas “cleaner and greener” than other fuels. A major issue for the natural gas industry is the need to decarbonize, which is gaining momentum. To limit global warming to 1.5C requires that gas is largely phased out by 2050.