The burning of natural gas now generates a significant portion of the electricity consumed in the United States. Although market forecasts indicate that natural gas prices should remain low for several years, most industry experts predict continued fluctuations in natural gas prices with a slow/steady upward trend. As the chart nearby illustrates, natural gas prices reached a historic 10-year low in April 2012, and they are beginning to uptick. Disasters, production, electricity generation, and supply and demand each have a significant impact on natural gas prices and trends.
 
Disasters. During the last decade, natural gas price swings ...