Despite a huge growth in renewables, natural gas remains the core fuel in the U.S. utility mix.  In March and April, wind beat out coal as a utility fuel, but natural gas accounted for slightly more than 43 percent of U.S. electricity generating in that same time frame, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The electric utility industry is enduring an existential crisis. Day in, day out it is under threat from aberrant weather  and from wildfires, even as it meets unprecedented demand growth in many regions. Also, there is the ever-present concern about cyberattack or gunfire attacks on substations. When it comes to recovery, the supply chain is stretched, whether the need is for transformers or new bucket trucks.