Coal-fired power is on the rise in America
Coal was long the main fuel source for the US power grid — even though its environmental footprint is the largest.
The EIA report said coal power generation is rising this year because of “significantly higher natural gas prices and relatively stable coal prices.” The delivered cost of natural gas to US power plants has averaged $4.93 per million British thermal units this year, more than double 2020’s price, the EIA said.
This comes after US power plants have retired nearly one-third of their generating capacity at coal plants since 2010.
The EIA said the rise of coal generation in the United States “will most likely not continue.” The report forecasts a 5% decline in US coal-fired generation in 2022 due to the retirement of coal-fired units and slightly lower natural gas prices.
