OLD KING COAL FALLS OFF THE WALL

The decline of U.S. coal, in three charts

Brad Plumer, July 31, 2012 (WonkBlog via Washington Post)

“Coal has been the most popular way to generate electricity in America for as long as electricity has been around. For decades, coal’s top spot seemed unassailable. But that’s all changing, incredibly rapidly…[Because of] cheap natural gas…[and] new EPA rules on air pollution…coal plants across the United States are shutting down...[because they are] no longer economical…A recent report from the Energy Information Administration found that U.S. plant owners and operators are getting ready to retire 27 gigawatts’ worth of coal generation, or about 8.5 percent of the coal fleet, between now and 2016…”

click to enlarge

“…[A new EIA] analysis [projected] that the United States will probably see a full 17 percent of the coal fleet retired between now and 2020…[if] natural gas from shale [stays cheap]…[I]f U.S. economic growth is exceptionally high, then rising electricity demand might help keep some of the older coal plants open…[N]atural gas is now tied with coal as America’s top source of electricity…[with each] now providing 32 percent of the nation’s power…”

click to enlarge

“This turn of events has helped drive down America’s global-warming emissions, with carbon pollution declining 7.7 percent since 2006…[A] natural-gas plant emits about half the carbon dioxide of a coal plant…That’s a bigger drop than anywhere else in the world…”

click to enlarge

“…[But] the rest of the world isn’t ready to give up coal…[U]se is growing at a staggering pace around the world, particularly in countries such as China and India…U.S. coal producers like Arch Coal and Alpha Natural Resources are hoping to build large export terminals in the Pacific Northwest…Environmental groups, by contrast, are trying to stop this from happening…”

Tweet