Blistering heat in the middle of spring is poised to volley power plants’ demand for natural gas in the U.S. Northeast to the highest in at least four years. Temperatures in New York City’s Central Park reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) on Wednesday, tying a record set in 2001, and they could hit that mark again Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. As the hot spell persists, generators stretching from Maine to Virginia and Ohio may burn 7.38 billion cubic feet of gas on Thursday, up 28 percent from a week earlier, based on Bloomberg New Energy Finance projections. Gas prices have been stuck in a narrow range for weeks as traders weigh a growing stockpile shortfall against record production. Inventories of the fuel are 29 percent below average after an unusually cold April, and a blazing summer could limit the amount of gas added […]