Over 250 natural gas industry decision-makers will gather in San Diego, CA, from August 10 to 12, 2026, for the 22nd Annual Energy Innovations: LDC Gas Forum Rockies & West. The event serves as a platform for professionals to examine critical issues facing the U.S. Rockies and West natural gas markets, including structuring transactions to buy, sell, and transport natural gas and LNG. Participants routinely negotiate commercial transactions during the forum, which is recognized as the industry’s premier gathering for natural gas and LNG professionals.

Key Themes and Agenda

The program for this year’s event addresses ongoing market resets to support U.S. energy policy and the impact of worldwide geopolitical events on natural gas and LNG markets. A significant focus will be on the projected increase in natural gas demand, driven primarily by natural gas power generation for AI data centers and LNG exports. The agenda also highlights issues unique to the U.S. Rockies and West natural gas markets, such as:

• Demand for reliable, non-intermittent electricity via natural gas-fired power generation.
• Gas/electric coordination challenges.
• Growing Rockies and West gas supply.
• Overcoming constraints in midstream infrastructure to support demand growth and supply takeaway.
• Impact of exports (LNG and Mexico) competing for supply from traditional production regions.
• Policy developments, including California’s energy import preferences and challenges to state gas bans.

Recurring topics include market fundamentals, supply capabilities, midstream infrastructure project updates, end-use buyer perspectives, and policy, regulatory, and legal analysis.

Speakers and Panels

The forum features 2.5 days of presentations and moderated panels led by industry leaders and subject matter experts. Keynote addresses will be delivered by Doug Way, GM West Gas and Power Trading at Shell Energy North America. A Morning Breakfast Keynote Roundtable will include Daniel Tygret, Director-Commercial at Kinder Morgan Inc., and Joseph Hulse, Vice President, Western Interstates Commercial at Williams, moderated by Ken Diel, Director, US West Wholesale Origination at NRG.

Four moderated panel discussions will cover timely topics, with representatives from organizations such as NRG, S&P Global Energy, Natural Gas Intelligence (NGI), bp, Cleveland Advisory, nGenue, Trellis Energy Software, SEO Agency USA, Williams Companies Inc., Southern Company Gas, NJ Resources, TC Energy, American Gas Association, EQT, SoCal Gas, Colorado Springs Utilities, and Enbridge Inc.

About LDC Gas Forums

The LDC Gas Forums series consists of six annual events, each focused on a key natural gas market region across North America. The forums are designed to facilitate face-to-face interaction, providing insights into critical issues affecting natural gas, LNG, power generation, and emerging energy markets. Participants include C-Suite leaders, decision-makers, and subject matter experts from utilities, industrial consumers, producers, pipelines, marketers, and policymakers. Other forums in the series include the Southeast, Northeast, Mid-Continent, Gulf Coast Energy Forum, and NatGas to Power Forum.

Global primary energy demand is projected to rise by 23% between 2025 and 2050, driven by population growth and industrialization in developing economies, according to OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2050. The report forecasts demand increasing from 312 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025 to 383 million barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2050. This growth challenges narratives suggesting a rapid decline in hydrocarbon consumption, highlighting instead an expansion of the energy mix to meet the needs of richer, more urban populations.

The forecast indicates that almost all major primary fuels will see demand increases through 2050, with the exception of coal. Renewables are expected to grow the most, rising by 51.3 million barrels of oil equivalent per day. Oil demand is projected to increase by 18.6 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, while natural gas demand is expected to rise by 19.3 million barrels of oil equivalent per day. Natural gas demand is specifically forecast to grow from 72 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025 to 91.3 million by 2050, increasing its share of the global energy mix from 23% to 23.8%.

Regional Growth Drivers

The expansion in energy demand is concentrated in developing countries, particularly India, Other Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. While demand in developed countries is expected to remain flat or decline, the report emphasizes that the future of energy will be determined by billions of people in developing economies seeking reliable power, transportation, and industrial capacity.

Africa serves as a key example of this trend. The continent’s population is projected to rise from 1.55 billion in 2025 to 2.47 billion by 2050. Consequently, Africa’s primary energy demand is expected to climb from 17.5 million barrels of oil equivalent per day to 29.3 million. Oil demand in the region is forecast to nearly double, while natural gas demand is projected to more than double, rising from 3.0 million to 6.5 million barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Electricity and Renewables

OPEC expects wind and solar generation to surge from 5,400 terawatt hours in 2025 to 26,000 terawatt hours in 2050. However, total electricity generation is also projected to rise significantly, from 32,000 terawatt hours to 59,500 terawatt hours over the same period. Approximately 75% of this electricity growth is expected to originate from developing countries, with nearly 60% coming from developing Asia alone. The report suggests that while renewables will grow substantially, natural gas will remain essential for grid stability and backing up intermittent sources.

Projected Energy Demand Changes (2025–2050)