New England is at risk of natural gas shortages this winter amid surging global demand that’s driving up US exports, according to the top federal energy regulator. Fuel availability “is a primary concern” in the six New England states, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said Thursday in its annual winter assessment. Strong demand for liquefied natural gas is keeping prices high, and the region also faces limited pipeline capacity. However, the fuel shortages that may affect the Northeast won’t affect other regions and power grids across the US are expected to have enough generating capacity to meet demand this winter, FERC said. In part that’s because warmer-than-average weather in much of the country will mean lower energy demand, though the potential for extreme weather events could lead to unexpected spikes in fuel demand. “Extreme weather can wreak havoc” on […]