Natural gas is often considered a transition fuel—a bridge to renewable energy—because of its ability to provide reliable baseload power that is cleaner to burn than fuel oil or coal. Extracted from the ground in gas form and typically moved to market by pipeline, this resource can also be cooled and turned into liquefied natural gas (LNG), transported by ship, and then converted back to gas for use as a fuel. In recent years, Jamaica, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Panama are just some of the countries that have increased the use of natural gas for electric power generation. A surge in U.S. shale gas production is driving new LNG distribution networks in the Caribbean Basin.