Coal use in the US power market is set to decline for a second year in succession as utilities increasingly shift to cheaper and cleaner natural gas and renewables.
The dirtiest fossil fuel will supply about 17% of US electricity this year, according to Energy Department data released Tuesday. That’s down from 20% last year and continues a decades-long decline. Coal will now supply less electricity than gas, renewables or nuclear plants.
Coal and gas prices surged last year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine upended global energy markets and drove up demand for US fossil fuels. Coal prices remain elevated but gas has come down sharply, making it more attractive to utilities.
About 11 gigawatts of coal plants have closed in the past year, representing 5% of the fuel’s US capacity, according to the Energy Department.