More electricity will come from wind and solar this summer, and less from coal.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 15.5 gigawatts of solar and wind power have been added to the nation’s grid in the past 12 months.
Meanwhile, 6 gigawatts of natural gas generation will be added to the grid, and 6 gigawatts of coal generation will be taken away.
Natural gas prices remain high because of increased demand for electricity and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They’re about double what they were last summer.
The federal agency forecasts a continued decline in electricity generated from coal. Utilities have phased out about 2 percent of coal generation nationally in the past year.
Recent supply chain and rail service problems, meanwhile, are limiting the ability of some power plants to maintain coal stockpiles. In some regions of the country, that may mean more power will come from natural gas, despite the higher price.