Natural gas-fired generators contributed more than any other source to the nation’s electricity capacity last year, the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) annual survey of electric generators found.

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Natural gas was used for 39% of electricity generation in 2019. The bulk of the fuel was used in combined-cycle technology, which surpassed coal-fired generators in 2018 to become the leading technology for electricity generating capacity in the country, EIA said.

Over the past four decades, the agency said, combined-cycle plants have gradually replaced aging steam turbines, which are relatively inefficient. The trend is expected to continue and further drive demand for natural gas.

“For steam turbines, boilers combust fuel to generate steam that drives a turbine...