U.S. Midwest Looks to $13 Billion in Gas-Fired Power Additions

July 15, 2025--Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Natural gas is enjoying slightly higher prices in 2025 when compared with previous years, but it remains much less expensive than most of its competing energy resources. That's no doubt a reason why the Midwest, which is expected to see more coal-fired power plant retirements than any other U.S. region, is looking at a promising slate of gas-fired capacity additions in the near term.

Industrial Info is tracking about $13 billion worth of active and proposed gas-fired power-generation capacity additions across the U.S. Midwest region. Natural gas prices averaged $2.21 per million British thermal units in 2024, which was the lowest on record when adjusted for inflation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). That makes gas the most popular candidate to replace the 10 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired generation projected to close by the end of 2028, according to the EIA.

Companies featured: Xcel Energy Incorporated and Wartsila