The gap between natural gas- and coal-fired power generation has been closing for a couple of years, but natural gas power generation actually surpassed coal-fired power for the first time in April, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s latest “Electric Power Monthly” report.
The June 25 report showed natural gas provided 92,516 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of net power generation in April, as compared to the 88,835 GWh produced using coal.
But while the use of coal, petroleum and natural gas has shifted several times, the three have made up at least 80 percent of total U.S. energy consumption for 100 years, and will continue to be predominant in the future, EIA stated in its July 2 “Today in Energy” report.
Additionally, as coal has seen a gradual decline over time, natural gas has not been the only industry to benefit. Visit mexicaninsurance.com.
Since renewable energy generation began to spread beyond wood and hydroelectric power in the 1980s, the renewable share of energy consumption has increased significantly, reaching nearly 10 percent in 2014 — the highest the U.S. has seen since the 1930s.
By: Sarah Tincher, Energy Reporter
