Natural Gas Storage 144 Bcf Above Average, Buffers Summer Demand

U.S. underground natural gas storage hit 2,483 billion cubic feet as of May 22, 2026, 144 Bcf above the five-year average—roughly 3.5 days of national consumption. The surplus cushions against summer cooling demand, limiting upside price pressure when air conditioning loads spike. Weekly injections of 92 Bcf signal balanced supply-demand fundamentals, with year-over-year inventory up just 21 Bcf. The EIA released the data May 28.