THE MARKET SHARE of electric power generated from coal has outpaced that of natural gas since November of 2012, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The EIA reported that in April 2012, coal and natural gas held an equal share of the market, but in each of the past five months, coal’s share has risen to 40 percent or more while natural gas dipped to 25 percent.
“Since May 2012, a combination of higher prices for natural gas and increased demand for electricity during the summer months led electric systems across much of the country to increase their use of coal-fired units,” the report continued.
“In March 2013, coal-fired units generated a little over 130,000 megawatt hours of electricity, while natural gas units produced nearly 85,000 megawatt hours. Heading into the 2013 spring shoulder season (between winter and summer), when demand for electricity typically falls, higher prices for natural gas reduced the fuel's share of total generation below the record levels of last April.”
The report added, “Nonetheless, the coal share of total generation remained well below its typical range prior to 2009. Between 2001 and 2008, the coal share (on an annual basis) ranged from 48% to 51%. Coal last achieved a 50% share in 2005 and is expected to be 40% in 2013.”
