The INGAA Foundation’s 2025 North American Midstream Infrastructure Report highlights the ongoing centrality of natural gas in North America’s energy system.
Rising electricity demand, driven largely by data centers, alongside continued growth in liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, underscores the need for substantial infrastructure expansion.
Prepared by experts from the University of Houston (UH), Wood, and ESMIA Consultants, the report examines two scenarios: a Reference Case, reflecting current US, Canadian, and provincial policies as of April 2025, and a Low Carbon Scenario, assuming more aggressive greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction efforts.
Both scenarios show that natural gas will remain a foundational energy source through 2052.
Meeting projected energy demand will require more than $1 trillion in new midstream investment, averaging $40–$48 billion annually across natural gas, oil, natural gas liquids, hydrogen, and carbon infrastructure.
Pipeline expansion is critical, with the study estimating the need for at least 37,000 miles of additional natural gas transmission pipelines—about 33,800 miles in the US—to transport energy from production centers to high-demand regions.
Additionally, approximately 103,000 miles of new natural gas gathering pipelines will be needed to link upstream production with processing and transmission systems.
The infrastructure investment is also expected to generate significant employment, with an estimated 12–24 million cumulative jobs over 25 years, including 2–4 million direct, 4–8 million indirect, and 6–12 million induced positions.
This equates to roughly 414,000–828,000 jobs annually, depending on investment levels.
The UH Division of Energy and Innovation led the study, supported by the C.T. Bauer College of Business. Wood provided project management and midstream sector expertise, while ESMIA contributed an economy-wide energy system model and technical analysis of natural gas infrastructure.
Together, the consortium underscores that substantial midstream investment is essential to ensure a reliable, resilient energy system in North America while accommodating growth and energy transition goals.
“The University of Houston was pleased to lead the consortium that conducted this analysis,” said Paul Doucette, Principal Investigator of the report. “The consortium worked closely with a team of industry experts as well as university faculty and staff to evaluate the market forces shaping North America’s energy future. The final report draws on decades of experience and equips industry leaders and policymakers with the clarity and confidence needed to plan, permit and build the infrastructure required to power a growing economy through 2052.”
Nishadi Davis, Director of Strategic Advisory for the Americas at Wood, said: “We were proud to bring our deep technical and commercial midstream expertise to the modeling process for this study. Long-range forecasts are only as strong as the assumptions that underpin them, and this study ensures that infrastructure projections are grounded in real-world engineering, cost, and operational considerations. By anchoring the modeling in our infrastructure experience across natural gas, liquids, hydrogen, and carbon systems, we have ensured that this study accurately reflects what can realistically be built, financed, and operated.”
“Using our integrated energy system modeling approach for the INGAA Foundation’s North American Midstream Infrastructure Report, we worked with the consortium to apply the NATEM framework to assess long-term natural gas demand and infrastructure needs,” said Anna Cybulsky, Head of Energy System Integration at ESMIA. “Our team translated complex modeling results into clear insights on infrastructure requirements, market dynamics, and policy interactions to provide a transparent, data-driven foundation to help industry and policymakers plan for the future with confidence.” -OGN/TradeArabia News Service
