In just a few years, America has become the low-cost producer of a major energy source—natural gas—and the long-term implications could be a game changer for some materials. New drilling technology has dramatically increased the production of oil and gas from North America's abundant shale resources. Furthermore, producers are now "flaring off" fewer wells to capture the gas for productive uses.
This trend already is spurring construction in the powerplant sector: Utilities are switching to combined-cycle gas plants, while pushing coal-fired plants to the point of extinction.