COAL USE UP WITH NAT GAS PRICE

Short-Term Energy Outlook; Electricity

May 7, 2013 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

“EIA expects total U.S. electricity generation will grow by 1.4 percent in 2013 and by 1.0 percent in 2014. The increasing cost of natural gas relative to coal contributes to higher levels of electricity generation from coal…

“Generators are running their existing coal capacity at higher rates so far this year compared with the same months in 2012. This trend is expected to continue, leading to an 8.7-percent increase in U.S. electricity generation from coal during 2013…”

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“The share of total generation fueled by coal is forecast to increase from 37.4 percent in 2012 to 40.1 percent in 2013, still below coal's 42.3-percent fuel share in 2011.

“…[T]he rising cost of natural gas pushes the share of generation fueled by natural gas down from 30.4 percent in 2012 to 27.8 percent in 2013, compared with a share of 24.7 percent in 2011.”

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