What is Algonquin Citygate, and why does New England gas spike in winter?

curl -H "Authorization: Token YOUR_KEY" \
  "https://api.oilpriceapi.com/v1/prices/past_year?by_code=NATURAL_GAS_ALGONQUIN_USD&interval=daily"

Where is Algonquin Citygate?

It is not a single point. The citygates are the delivery points where the Algonquin Gas Transmission pipeline hands gas to local distribution companies in New England. EIA lists Algonquin Citygate as the hub representing New England and describes it as serving Boston-area consumers.

Which pipelines supply it?

Most gas delivered into New England arrives from the south on two systems, the Tennessee Gas Pipeline and Algonquin Gas Transmission (AGT), which EIA calls the region's major entry point (EIA, 2016). Maritimes & Northeast and the Portland Natural Gas Transmission System also deliver into the region (EIA, December 2020), and LNG imports fill part of the gap on the coldest days: on peak demand days LNG supplies up to 35% of New England's gas (EIA, 2022).

Capacity has grown slowly. The Algonquin Incremental Market project added 342 MMcf/d in November 2016, the largest project into New England since 2007 (EIA). Atlantic Bridge Phase 1 added 40 MMcf/d on Algonquin in November 2017, and the three projects EIA tracked in 2020 added 136 MMcf/d between them (EIA, December 2020). Before AIM, the Stony Point compressor station on Algonquin had reached its operating capacity throughout the year, even outside winter.

Why does Algonquin spike in winter?

Gas does double duty in New England. It heats buildings, and it generated 60,447 GWh, or 51%, of the electricity ISO New England needed in 2025 (ISO-NE). When a cold snap raises both loads at once, demand runs into a pipeline network that cannot expand for a day. The price at the citygate then rises until enough buyers stop buying: power plants switch to oil, which accounted for as much as 20% of New England's electric supply in several hours after 7 January 2022 (EIA), and New England buyers compete for LNG cargoes in the global market.

That last link ties Algonquin to world gas prices in a way inland hubs are not. In January 2022, EIA put the average spot price at $21/MMBtu at Algonquin, $28 at the Dutch TTF and $29 in Asia, so New England was competing for cargoes in a market priced several times above Henry Hub.

What does a spike look like?

• Winter 2014. Algonquin averaged $22.53/MMBtu from 1 January to 18 February 2014, a record for those dates in a series starting in 2001, and the February bidweek price set a record at $33.79 (EIA). LNG deliveries were down more than 30% from a year earlier.
• 4 January 2018. During the bomb cyclone Algonquin reached $78.98/MMBtu, while Henry Hub was $4.42 (EIA Natural Gas Weekly Update). The January 2018 average was $15.52 (EIA).
• 31 December 2025 to 7 January 2026. Algonquin fell from $18.76 to $5.95/MMBtu as temperatures returned toward normal; Henry Hub fell from $3.96 to $3.11 over the same week (EIA). The basis went from $14.80 to $2.84 in one week, which is why a monthly average hides most of what happens at this hub.

EIA's 2016 review of New England capacity described the same pattern: Algonquin prices spiked to $15/MMBtu in the winters of 2013 to 2015 and to $25 in winter 2014. The exhibit above shows how far the gap closes once the weather warms.

How is Algonquin traded?

Daily trades set the spot price that EIA and price reporters publish. Forward exposure is usually hedged as basis: ICE lists an Algonquin Citygates Basis Future that settles on the Inside FERC monthly bidweek index for Algonquin minus the final NYMEX Henry Hub settlement, in lots of 2,500 MMBtu (ICE). A buyer who holds Henry Hub futures and that basis contract has fixed a delivered New England price for the month, though not for any single cold day inside it. The basis spreads guide covers how the two legs combine.

What to watch

• Temperature forecasts for Boston. Algonquin rose $5.55/MMBtu in the week to 14 January 2026, the largest move among the hubs EIA reported that week.
• LNG availability. Global LNG prices set the marginal winter supply. When cargoes are scarce, New England pays the world price.
• Pipeline projects. Enbridge's proposed Project Maple would add 720 MMcf/d to AGT and raise its total to 3.81 Bcf/d, with a target in-service date of November 2029 (Argus).
• Storage and Henry Hub. Algonquin is quoted as Henry Hub plus basis, so the national storage balance moves the floor under it.

Using the data

NATURAL_GAS_ALGONQUIN_USD returns the Algonquin Citygate daily spot price in $/MMBtu, one value per trading day. Pair it with NATURAL_GAS_USD (Henry Hub) on shared dates to compute basis; Henry Hub rows can include days Algonquin does not trade, so match on date rather than position. Today's Henry Hub price is on the live natural gas page, and the other regional hubs are compared on the natural gas hubs page.