Natural gas-fired electricity generation jumped across all but one U.S. region over the past five years, and the trend continued through November 2020, according to the latest U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Power Plant Operations Report.

U.S. natural gas power plants boosted electricity generation by 31% in the Northeast, by 20% in the Central region, and by 17% in the South between 2015 and 2019, EIA said.

Gas-fired electricity over the same period in the West declined 1%, dragged lower by a 29% drop in California, where solar-generated power is on the rise. The decline in California more than offset growth in the Northwest and Southwest subregions, according to the agency.

Even in California, however, natural gas continues to play an important role. Output...