The U.S. Has Officially Flipped the Energy Business

It wasn't supposed to happen until 2017, but the United States made history in November by exporting more natural gas than it imported.

1 minute read

November 16, 2016, 2:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Natural Gas

QiuJu Song / Shutterstock

Dave Forest reports that the "Shale Miracle" of 2010 has reached a milestone culmination: the United States is a new exporter of natural gas.

"Platts reported Monday that its proprietary data showed U.S. natgas exports exceeding imports in early November' " according to Forest. In pure volume, the country's balance is netting an outflow of 1 billion cubic feet of gas per day.

"That’s the first time ever that American producers have shipped out more gas than the country takes in," adds Forest for context. "And that historic event illustrates a number of critical changes happening right now in the U.S. energy scene."

The article includes more detail about the gas coming and going from the United States.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016 in Oil Price

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Bird's eye view of large apartment complex under construction next to four-lane road near Atlanta, Georgia.

How Atlanta Built 7,000 Housing Units in 3 Years

The city’s comprehensive, neighborhood-focused housing strategy focuses on identifying properties and land that can be repurposed for housing and encouraging development in underserved neighborhoods.

April 9, 2025 - Governing

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

1 hour ago - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

2 hours ago - Bloomberg CityLab

An engineer controlling a quality of water ,aerated activated sludge tank at a waste water treatment plant.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding

The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.

3 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive