Investment Opportunities in the Hot Global Market For Electric Power

Originally published on Forbes.com on February 12, 2026

Investments in fossil and renewable power are examined. LNG projections are captivating, with growth markets in liquefaction, regasification, and marine infrastructure.

It’s well-known that electricity demand will grow strongly over the next decade. Less known is that the price of electricity will soar in the U.S – Canada market. Households are likely to experience prices that will be a cringing 50% higher by 2035. 

Here we look at what’s driving the demand for power, and where the opportunities for investment lie, from a global point of view.

The Demand For Power

It’s not just data centers and AI, which everyone knows about. But it’s electrified transport (EVs), electrified industry, and air-conditioned cooling. And this is exacerbated by expanding populations and their economic growth. Enormous investments will be needed to install new sources of power (fossil and low-carbon), as well as transmission lines and transformers to carry the power.

Low-carbon sources of solar, wind, and batteries are faster to install and cheaper over the long haul. But natural gas is a growth engine also, tied to gas-fired power plants that will supply some of the needed baseload power. For the growing Asian market, this will manifest as a boom in LNG export business, where the U.S. is riding high as No. 1.

Investing In An Unstoppable Transition

According to a report by KPMG, about three-fourths of investors said that investment in energy transition was accelerating. This was partly due to serious cost reductions over the past decade in solar, wind, and grid battery assets. About the same fraction said they stayed in fossil fuel investments. So it’s a wash. Other investors favored the installation of data centers and charging networks for EVs.

In 2025, China, the U.S., and the EU dominate the investment scene in energy technologies, as expected. In each of the big three, renewables exceed fossil investments since part of the green segments would be grid battery storage.

For low-carbon investors, it’s wise to note that renewables tend to have high upfront costs, as was demonstrated by a New Mexico utilities company called Xcel Energy, even though LCOE costs over their lifetime are lower. Another negative is that the Trump administration has handicapped renewables by reducing previous government support in the form of grants and tax credits.

Lucky Gas and LNG Investments

Natural gas has always been viewed as a bridge fuel, as burning coal and oil came under fire for their higher carbon emissions. Gas burns and emits only about half of the emissions of coal and oil. But on this stage, coal is a different creature. Despite Donald Trump ordering coal power plants not to close, we know that burning coal liberates particulates into the air that can be deadly in causing or aggravating asthma for children and seniors, and can cause heart and cancer problems as well. So, given the electrical power crisis, natural gas and its liquid form of LNG can be termed “lucky” when viewed as an investment.

This situation has, in fact, caused a revolution in LNG in the last ten years, as I’ve detailed in a book. In 2016, U.S. law first allowed the country to export gas. LNG exports rose exponentially. In 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine, and gas supplies from Russia to Europe were cut off. In response, President Biden committed huge quantities of LNG shipments to Europe. It can be said that LNG saved Europe, as the U.S. rose to the No. 1 exporter of LNG, surpassing Australia and Qatar.

Natural gas now plays a big role in supplying the world’s electricity. In 2024, gas supplied 40% of the global energy demand rise, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region, where consumption outstrips supply, according to the IEA. North America and the Middle East are different because in these regions, supply exceeds consumption.

The report gives numbers for LNG growth. “Global demand is about 400 Million Metric tons per annum (MMtpa) today, projected to reach 600 by 2030 and nearly 700 by 2035,” said EIG Global Energy Partners, a leading institutional investor in global energy. LNG needs in Asia will increase from 270 Mtpa to 510 Mtpa in the next 25 years. For investors, “Expect major liquefaction build-out in North America and the Middle East, regasification expansion in Asia, and rising investment in marine LNG infrastructure,” EIG said.

Under Trump, the U.S. is pushing forward with LNG projects. According to Reuters, three LNG projects that reached their Final Investment Decisions in 2025 are Louisiana LNG (16.5 Mtpa), Rio Grande LNG Train 4 (6 Mtpa), and Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 (13.5 Mtpa). The U.S. capacity for LNG is the world’s largest, at 120 Mtpa. Another 60 Mtpa will reach FID in 2026.

Future of Natural Gas Investment

Despite the rollicking LNG investment at present, there is risk in the long term. Natural gas for power will peak about 2025, according to DNV. Typical LNG contracts are long, 20-25 years, and add financial stability. But in some new contracts, there is a shortening to 10-15 years due to geopolitical uncertainty.

Also, some observers insist we will continue to move toward a carbon-free world, and this would slowly crimp the burning of gas to generate electricity. Overall gas demand could begin to fall after 2035, see the chart.

Investment in electric power has a larger context. Almost one billion (actually 730 million) out of eight billion people on earth have no electricity. The Rockefeller Foundation says there exists a correlation between insufficient electricity and poor education, health, and nutrition (Time Magazine, January 26, 2026). Investments that help electrify the world with cheaper and more accessible energy will also do more good for more people.