Kinder Morgan's (NYSE: KMI) earnings have been stuck in neutral over the past few years, averaging about $7.7 billion annually. The company has faced headwinds from expiring contracts, which have rolled over to lower rates due to lower utilization. That has offset the positive impact of acquisitions and expansion projects.

However, the company's contract headwinds are fading as demand for gas rises. Meanwhile, it sees a massive growth tailwind ahead from LNG export facilities, which should drive significantly more gas demand in the future. That catalyst could fuel meaningful earnings and cash flow growth for the pipeline giant in the coming years. It could enable the company to grow its 6.6%-yielding dividend (which is already in the top 5% highest yields in the S&P 500) even faster. 

Kinder Morgan's co-founder Richard Kinder discussed the LNG opportunity on the company's third-quarter conference call. He highlighted two forecasts for LNG-fueled natural gas demand in the U.S. over the coming years. First, he noted, "S&P Global Commodity Insights estimates LNG feed gas demand at 13.1 Bcf a day for 2023 and projects that it will grow to 24.7 Bcf a day in 2028 and to 27.5 Bcf a day in 2030." Meanwhile, he pointed out that the "International Energy Agency estimates that U.S. LNG exports, as a share of global LNG supply, will grow from 20% in 2022 to almost 30% in 2026." 

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Source Fool.com