Buffett Utilities Say More Gas Plants Needed to Meet Demand

Executives of US Western utilities owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. conglomerate said more natural gas power plants will be needed to supply unprecedented demand growth on their systems.

NV Energy Inc. sees natural gas generators playing a critical role in meeting the Nevada utility’s rapidly growing electricity demand, which is expected to more than double this decade, Chief Executive Officer Doug Cannon said Tuesday at the S&P Global Power Markets conference in Las Vegas.

“For the time being, natural gas will still continue to play an important role for powering the future of energy,” Cannon said, adding the utility remains committed to adding renewable power.

PacifiCorp, a Berkshire utility that serves six Western states, also is looking to add natural gas generators to its grids, said Chief Executive Officer Cindy Crane.

“We are seeing these are needed to bring that reliability longer-term in our system,” Crane said. The gas units will be constructed so they can eventually run on cleaner-burning hydrogen, she added.